Improvement in corn-planters



A. C. BU.RGNER.

.C ORN-PL'A NI'ER.

Patented Jan.- 4, 1875.

i% ITOR AnoRNEYs- N.FEYEHS, PNOTO-UTMOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON, By C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLEN O. BURGNER, OF 'OHARLESTOhL'ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,771, dated anuary 4, 1876; application filed 0ctober'9, 1875.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, ALLEN O. BURGNER, of Charleston, in the county of Ooles and State of Illinois, have invented a new and valuable Improvement {in Corn-Planters; and 1 do'hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making'a part of this specification, and to the lettersand figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a plan view of my corn-planter, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views thereof.

This invention has relation to improvements in corn-planters; and it consists in the arrangement and novel construction of the various devices employed, and in their correlation, whereby very useful and desirable results are obtained, as will be hereinafter more fully explained and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, A designates the frame of my improved corn-planter, to which an axle, B, of two transporting-wheels, G, is transversely bolted. These wheels are provided with broad treads, in order that in passing over newly-mellowed soil they may not sink unduly therein, and they are freed of any earth which may have clung, thereto during the operation of the machine by means of scrapers D, pivoted to the rear end of the frame in such a manner as to be capable of being thrust in contact with the tread of the said wheels, and free them of earth sticking thereto. As shown in Fig. 2, these scrapers consist of a blade, at, of any suitable metal, and of a U-shaped shank, a, through which are formed perforations, by means of which they are applied at each side of the frame upon the ends of a rear brace, b. Shank a, which extends considerably above the level of the frame, serves as a handle, by means of which the scraper may be thrust into contact with the tread of the wheel. The front ends of the side rails c of frame A are pivoted to the side rails c of a preferably triangular frame, E, which is bolted to a transverse beam, d, sustaining upon each end a grain-hopper, F, which frame is supported upon metallic or metal-shod runners G, the rear ends of which are rigidly secured to'woodeu or metallic spouts 0, communicating with openings in the bottom of the hoppers, and, being taperingly bifurcated at f, are made to perform the function of drills, and form the furrow in which the grain will be deposited. In order that the depth of penetration of the runners and drills f into the ground may be regulated at pleasure to suit the necessities of each particular case, the rear end of triangular frame E is provided with a crankshaft, g, working upon a metallic plate, h, on a strong longitudinal beam, H, the rear end of which is bolted to a raised bridge, I, on the rear brace b of frame A, and the front end of which is pivoted between converging uprights k, supporting a drivers seat, J, which uprights are bolted to the transverse beam d. Crankshaft 9 is provided with operating-arms g at each end, by means of which it is rotated, such rotation having the effect of increasing or lessening the penetration of the runners, by raising or lowering the rear end of frame E, in accordance with the direction of the same.

In practice, the bottoms of hoppers F will be of metal, and the sides and ends preferably of wood; but they may be constructed entirely of wood or of metal, 'if I so elect.

L represents an endwise-movable four-sided dropping-bar, having its ends engaged in hoppers F, and of reduced cylindrical form. These ends are suitably journaled in the metallic por- I tion of the hopper-bottoms, thereby allowing the bar to have not only endwise, but also rotary, movement, for a purpose hereinafter explained. That portion of the ends of rod L inside of the hoppers is provided with two spaced gear or spur wheels, 2 d, between which is arranged a notched plate, K, having upon its lateral edges a number of spaced notches, j, which mesh with the teeth of the spur-wheels. Plate K is also provided with a number of spaced perforations, t, arranged at a suitable distance apart, and each pair of larger size than the one next preceding. Plate K is covered with a preferably metallic striker, which is immovably fixed in the bottom of the hopper, and is provided with two perforations, a, through which the grain is delivered to perforations t, in each pair alternately.

Bar L will be operated by means of a handlever, for the purposeof dropping the seed, and the reciprocating movement thus produced will cause the perforations tin plate K to register in turn with the opening in the bottom of the hopper leading into the spout, and with apertures 01, in striker O, causing a planting of seed to be delivered into the furrow. Should it be found that too much or too little corn is dropped, the defect may be remedied without emptying the hoppers by causing rod L to rotate on its bearings until another set of perforations t in plate K, of larger or smaller capacity, are brought in line with openings n. This effect is produced by the action of spur-wheels z upon the said plate through the rotation of the rod, and the engagement of their teeth with the notches on the edges of the said plate.

It will be seen from the above explanation that when crank-shaft g is operated itwill have the effect of raising the runners out of the ground, or of lowering them into the same, in accordance with the previous position of the runners and the direction of rotation imparted to the said shaft. It will also be seen that the crank serves as a prop and a lock to hold the said runners into the ground or out of the ground, as the case may be.

In practice, dropper-spouts a will be of rectangular form in cross-section, and will be open in rear. They will also be provided each with a vertically-arranged and vibrating valve, n,

dividing the said spouts into two equal parts, which valves are provided withan enlarged beveled lower end, 10, and are connected in any suitable manner with the endwise-movable rod L, so that when the latter is operated the seed falling into the spout will be arrested by the enlarged head of the valve, and will be discharged when the said rod is moved in the opposite direction at a point near the lower end of the spouts, thus accurately directing the grain into the furrow.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. i The combination, with hopper F, having striker-plate O and spout e, of the endwisemovable rod L, having spur-wheels t z", drop- In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto. subscribed my name inthe presence of two witnesses.

ALLEN G. BURGNER. Witnesses:

Moams BURGNER, L. J. BURGNER. 

